Rose Weasley and the Time She Didn't Explode the Universe
by The Feisty Rogue
Summary: Rose gasped in a breath, and clutched at the table she and Alessandro Zabini were sitting at. The gem they'd both been idly examining had just burst into an explosion of light, and it had done – something – to them. Zabini was now eyeing it with tempered curiosity.


Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments)

Assignment #4 

Ancient Runes: Rune Sets Task #2: Write about an artefact of unknown origins.

Writing Month

Trope of the Month: Time travel

Themed Week Location: The Leaky Cauldron

Song Lyrics Challenge

No. 18: 'Well how 'bout that'

Roald Dahl Day Event: Find the Golden Ticket

Prompt: Write about an important building/place. It doesn't have to be a landmark, but somewhere important to the area at least.

Ticket prompts: Handsome, Part, Delight, Green, Arm, Existence, War, First, Half, Hesitant

 **Rose Weasley and the Time She Didn't Explode the Universe**

* * *

Rose gasped in a breath, and clutched at the table she and Alessandro Zabini were sitting at. The gem they'd both been idly examining had just burst into an explosion of light, and it had done – something – to them. Zabini was now eyeing it with tempered curiosity.

"Well how 'bout that… Don't panic, but it seems like we may have gone back in time," Zabini said, casting a lazy eye about their surroundings. They were in the back corner of the Leaky Cauldron, and had been before, so Rose had no idea how he could tell. The pub was exactly as she remembered; grimy, cramped and dark, with no way to know if it was morning or night, let alone the year.

"Don't panic!" Rose said, narrowing her eyes, even as she looked about. "Don't panic! We could upset the space-time continuum and cause the entire universe to explode because of our very existence, and you're telling me not to panic!"

"How 'bout that," Zabini repeated in his slow, American drawl. "Ain't this just a merry lil' adventure. I never thought I'd be seein' 1991 in the flesh."

"This is all your fault," she snarled. "That artefact must have been triggered when we both touched it – and how do you even know what year it is?"

"Ain't you never read your nuncle's book?" he asked in an amused tone, his southern twang grating on her nerves.

"Of course." She grit her teeth and shoved her hands in her pockets in an attempt to stop herself from whacking him on his perfect, pretty face.

"Well, over yonder looks to be Hagrid escortin' the young saviour on his very first visit to the Wizarding World. Must be early mornin', here."

Rose spun on her foot so fast she nearly fell over. It was Hagrid, looking impossibly young – and there was Uncle Harry, with big green eyes and his horrid scar on his forehead, being swarmed by adoring fans. It was sickening, even worse than how the press had been in her childhood. At least it explained why nobody had noticed them miraculously appearing in the pub.

She started forward, and was yanked back by Zabini. He ran a lazy hand through his dark hair, but his brown eyes were kind.

"Be ma guest… but didn't you say somethin' about some sorta universe explosion?"

Rose froze. She pinched the bridge of her nose, and had to watch as Hagrid led Uncle Harry out of the pub and into Diagon Ally, and onto seven years of war and pain and misery.

"We have to get out of here," she muttered. "Oh, if only we still had that gem."

"This one right here?"

Sitting on the table between them was the artefact that Rose was certain had been responsible for their trip through time. It was a purple gem the size of her fist, and it glowed from within, taunting her with each pulse of light. She reached for it, but Zabini snatched it up before she could.

"Nuh uh. I ain't comin' to 1991 and then seein' only the inside of this grimy waterin' hole."

Rose hesitated. She knew exactly where he was coming from. The temptation to explore – and then on top of that, change – was immense.

"But the universe…" she trailed off weakly when Zabini sat forward, his eyes twinkling with excitement.

"Just a lil' bit of Diagon Alley. I hear Fortescue's was somethin' quite spectacular, afore the war."

"Ice cream, my weakness," Rose murmured, biting back a smile. He offered her his arm, and Rose rolled her eyes, but accepted. "Just the ice cream parlour, then we go straight back, okay?"

"As you say, darlin'."

Zabini insisted on paying – he wanted to keep the receipt, and they both had cones of chocolate topped with a strange candy that popped in her mouth. It was one of the most delicious ice creams Rose had ever had, and was made even better by being able to sit on Diagon Alley, and compare the differences between now and then – or rather, now, and what would be. The people dressed differently, but she'd expected that. She hadn't expected their vocabularies to have changed so much, until she realised that the modern wizarding dialect was much more alike to modern muggle linguistics.

"This is just fascinatin'," Zabini said. His eyes were glowing with delight as he looked around, so quickly it was as if he couldn't drink in the sights fast enough.

"Oh – you studied the History of the Wars for your entry thesis to the Unspeakables, didn't you?"

Zabini shot her a sly grin. "Only just remembered?" He patted her hand. "That's right, darlin',"

Rose huffed, but smiled. It had been a good idea to explore, even if it was just a little. She'd even spotted Uncle Harry a few times, coming out of Gringotts, and going into various stores. He was so excited – and Rose knew that he'd never regretted being part of the wizarding world, no matter the darker side of it.

"Well fuck me sideways," Zabini said quietly. "It's time for us to go."

Rose looked up, and realised that the Malfoys had just exited Ollivander's, and were heading their way, staring at Zabini with a peculiar look upon their faces.

"You can say that again," she said, scrambling to her feet.

Zabini, with a roguish wink, took her hand, and they ran back to the Leaky Cauldron, laughing like children half their age.

"Damn, but I look the spittin' image of Pops. That was an encounter I'm glad we did without."

They settled back into the table they'd been sitting at before. Zabini still hadn't let go of her hand.

"That was the best first date I've ever been on," he said. "Now I know you only agreed to go out with me to get me to stop pesterin' you – but d'ya think you might oblige me once again?"

He was sprawled in his seat in casual nonchalance, but she could see him peering at her from beneath his lashes with a thrilling intensity, and she found herself actually thinking about it.

"I wouldn't be opposed to a second date…" she said eventually, with a wry twist of her lips.

Zabini grinned, and drew her hand toward him, brushing a kiss over her knuckles. "I'm glad you agreed." He produced the gem. "My next step may have been a tiny bit of blackmail."

"Fiend!" Rose declared, but laughed. She squeezed his fingers, and reached out for them gem. Zabini mirrored the movement, and with a blinding explosion of light, they fell through time.

"Rose!"

Rose groaned, having landed upon the wooden flooring of the pub. Someone helped her to her feet. The journey back hadn't been nearly as calm as the journey there, much more alike to a portkey, which she loathed. Realising that she was still clutching the artefact, she hastily put it on the table.

"You alright?" It was Uncle Harry fussing over her, still in Auror robes. He'd probably been called when she'd disappeared into thin air.

"Where's Zabini?" she asked, blinking away her blurry vision.

"Right here," he said from where he was sprawled on the ground. "Some of ain't got wizardin' saviours to catch them when they fall."

Uncle Harry chuckled, and helped her into a seat. Then, he offered his hand, which Zabini accepted, and pulled the other man to his feet.

All three of them stared at the gem on the table for a moment, before Uncle Harry snorted.

"I always told Hermione you'd be the one getting up to mischief," he said. With a flick of his wand he'd conjured a box, and he nudged the gem into it. "I'll get this to your mother, back at the Ministry."

Rose winced. She'd be hearing about this adventure for years to come.

But then Zabini looked over at her from under his gorgeous long lashes, wearing a smirk that she wanted to kiss off his stupidly handsome face, and she didn't regret it a single bit.

* * *

 _Word count: 1343_

Reasons why Zabini has an American accent: (none) his family retreated to America after the war because all Slytherins got a shit deal of it for a while in England


End file.
